Earlier today, Apple announced the passing of Steve Jobs. If you visit Apple’s website or https://www.apple.com/stevejobs you will see Apple’s official statement on the incident.
This is a tragic day in the technology world. No one can argue the influence that Mr. Jobs has had on the technology industry, and the world would have been a much different place had he not existed. The man was a visionary.
From a news perspective, the loss of Mr. Jobs was well prepared for by the Apple board. Mr. Jobs resigned earlier this year and instituted a succession plan. Tim Cook will make a brilliant Chief Executive. There is no doubt in my mind, because he was trained by the best in the industry.
From a personal perspective, I purchased my first Macintosh in 2004 by acquiring a PowerBook G4 12”. To this day, I believe that that computer was the best computer I have ever owned. Since then I have been a Mac guy. I have purchased much of the hardware that has come from Cupertino, and even went as far and seeking a Apple certification just based out of my love for Apple and their products.
Steve Jobs is controversial, he always has been. It is why he has made such a mark on the industry. He drew a line in the sand between PC and Mac users, running advertisements supporting the superiority that he believes his product has, and touting the benefits of the Macintosh over anything else.
He was very aspirational. When he announces products, he creates a “reality distortion field” and creates lust for everything he produced. However, it wasn’t always that way. Before Jobs left Apple the first time, he “ran the pirate flag” up at Apple and bet the farm on the Macintosh. His “my way or the highway” is why he was pushed out of Apple, but it is also the reason why he came back.
The “my way or the highway” approach pushed Apple into creating a closed ecosystem and creating products without hosting focus groups or committees. He said “This is how the future should be, let’s make it now.” He knew what the customer wanted even before the customer knew what they wanted. Was it ego or was it brilliance? I believe that it was both.
Over the next few days, we will see much more news about his death and the life that he lived. He has truly influenced the world in ways that cannot be described, and he will be missed dearly.
Diving into Twitter people are eulogizing him from all over the globe. The web is littered with blog posts and stories about Steve’s passing, as well as peoples’ personal recollections of their time with him.
If you are looking for the perfect summation on Mr. Jobs’ view on life, and realize why he was such a revolutionary, look no further than his Stanford Commencement Speech from 2005. "Stay hungry, stay foolish." - Steve Jobs...
If you believe that you should leave the world a better place than when you entered it, then Steve Jobs has accomplished that goal. “Death is the single best invention of life… Follow your intuition because everything else is secondary.” – Steve Jobs. God speed Mr. Jobs, may you rest in peace.
Although I a PC guy by heart it makes me remember my younger years when I was using the Apple IIe's and the first Macs that came out. The gentlemen that helped create them is gone. A little bit of the apple has been bitten but, from the seeds of the Apple I think new apple trees will blossom still... thanks in part to what he did for the technology industry. 
